about us
Vision
Our vision is to have a legal system that provides justice and fairness for women.
Mission
Our mission is to ensure the physical safety, economic security, and autonomy of women throughout Maryland. We work toward this goal by providing direct legal representation, information and referral services, and legislative advocacy.
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
- A group of law students at the University of Maryland School of Law and young lawyers at the Legal Aid Bureau begin meeting to discuss women’s issues. The Women’s Law Center emerges!
- Stuart v. Board of Elections is filed to allow women to vote using their birth names. One of WLC’s founding members, Gerry Sweeney, is the law clerk to the judge hearing the case and researched the opinion in the Stuart case.
- WLC and the Legal Aid Bureau successfully represent symphony harpist Rosmarie B. Orner, arguing that it is unconstitutional to disqualify pregnant women from receiving unemployment benefits in Orner v. Board of Appeals.
- WLC files an amicus brief in a case challenging the requirement that married women register to vote under their married names.
- Congress passes Equal Rights Amendment and WLC helps fuel the formation of the Governor’s Commission to Study Implementation of the Equal Rights Amendment.
- Legal hotline services begin.
- WLC Articles of Incorporation signed by early activists Susan Tannenbaum, Ann Hoffman, and Kathleen O’Ferral Friedman, establishing the Law Center as a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
- Successfully represent female teachers before the Baltimore City School Board in Doerr & Douthrit v. Walton et al, arguing that the requirement for women to take maternity leave at the end of the fifth month of pregnancy was discriminatory.
- Successfully represent a female social worker in her claim against the Maryland Department of Employment and Social Services that its rules on maternity leave were discriminatory.
- Support successful legislation to change Maryland law so that a pregnant woman rendered unable to work by operation of law was then eligible for unemployment benefits.
- Successfully represent female employees of Bethlem Steel in the matter of Beasley v. Bethlem Steel and U.S. Steelworkers of America in a sex discrimination case against the company and union.
- First publication of “Legal Rights in Marriage and Divorce.”
- First publication of “Sex Discrimination in Employment: How to Recognize it and What to do About It.”
- First publication of “The Legal Rights of Women in Credit in Maryland.”
- “Battered Women: A Manual for Survival” is published.
- Successfully represented plaintiffs in the matter of Lazarus v. MD, a case of pay parity for substantially equal work.
- WLC successfully represents women in the matter of VJS v. Hughes, a case challenging the Baltimore Police Department’s height and weight requirements.
- Successfully represented female prison guards in Kamka et al v E.E.O.C. et al., a case that balanced their right to employment advancement with the privacy rights of male prisoners.
- “Legal Rights in Marriage and Divorce” and “Legal Rights of Unmarried Cohabitant” published.
- Ann Sjordsma hired as WLC’s first Executive Director, serving in that role from 1981-1983. Ann served on the WLC Board of Directors from 1984-1987, and as Board President from 1985-1986.
- WLC settlement with the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles allows married women to revert to their birth names on their driver’s licenses without obtaining a court order.
- Successfully represented a female nursing assistant challenging Sinai Hospital’s discriminatory treatment of women after maternity leave.
- “Battered- What Can I Do?” and “Sex Discrimination in Employment” published.
- Co-sponsored statewide ERA practical skills workshop for attorneys.
- “Domestic Violence: Responding to the Problem” conference co-sponsored.
- WLC joins statewide effort to ensure comparable worth in salaries and helped plan the “Women/Worth/Work.”
- First WLC Annual Meeting.
- Kathleen Shemer joins the WLC as the second Executive Director.
- Partnered with House of Ruth to form the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic at the House of Ruth.
- Launched women’s legal affairs radio program; continues through 1990.
- WLC “Pornography and the First Amendment” Conference.
- Bleesz v. Bleesz – amicus briefs submitted regarding the impact of mother’s adultery on custody determinations.
- WLC creates the Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award for significant contributions to women’s rights.
- State of MD vs. Allewalt amicus brief submitted regarding psychiatric testimony on rape trauma syndrome.
- WLC “Child Custody: The American Family Conflict” conference.
- WLC “Whose Child is It? Alternatives for Parenting: Adoption, Reproductive Technology, and Surrogate Mothering” conference.
- Partnered with the Baltimore Justice Campaign to amend Baltimore City law to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination.
- Conducted research and submitted testimony for “Gender Bias in the Courts Report.”
- Filed amicus brief in Burning Tree Country Club sex discrimination and tax preference case; initiated an investigation into admissions of private clubs and surveying law firms about practices regarding clubs and organizations with discriminatory membership policies.
- WLC “Separating Sex & Violence” conference.
- WLC “Money Power & Gender: The Economic Impact of Divorce” conference.
- Family Law Hotline launched
- Contributed to amicus brief in Equitable Life Insurance vs. MD Commission on Human Relations challenging discriminatory insurance rate setting against women and marginalized populations.
Meet the Team
Hon. Katie Curran O’Malley
Chief Executive Officer
Jessica Morgan
Chief Operations Officer
Suzanne Pérez Ibarrondo
Chief Programs Officer
Sara Powel, Esq.
Chief Legal Officer
Allie Post
Director of Communications & Development
Andrea Rafter
Office Manager
